Federal workers say the upcoming spending cuts will be a thorn in their side but they think the pain will stop short at losing their jobs. “It appears as though they’re trying to balance the budget on the backs of federal employees,” said Gerald Alston, who has spent 34 years at the Environmental Protection Agency and is two years away from retirement.

Alston said he doesn’t fear for his job, but some nonessential testing programs are getting cut and a three-year salary freeze has him frustrated.